Bag forming, handling, and filling mechanism



Aug. 13, 1935. [RMSCHER 2,010,994

BAG FORMING, HANDLING AND FILLING MECHANISM Filed May 8, 1933 3 Sheets-Shed 1 INVENTOR BL? A TTORNE Y5 Aug. 13, 1935. mMscHER I 2,010,994

BAG FORMING, HANDLING AND FILLING MECHANISM Filed May 8, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 M2? n V W/Y' N V E N T 0R H ns 17126012121,

1 1 A TTORNEXS Patented Aug. 13, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BAG FORMING, HANDLING, AND FILLING MECHANISM Application May 8, 1933, Serial No. 669,943

6 Claims.

The present invention relates to bag forming, handling and filling mechanism and embodies, more specifically, an improved mechanism by means of which portions of material open at the 5 ends thereof, are directed over and held by suitable supporting mechanism by means of which the material is moved through a sewing machine to sew one end thereof to form a receptacle. This receptacle is subsequently supported by the supporting mechanism in an open position to facilitate the filling thereof.

In this connection it is old to form receptacles by severing portions from a continuous sleeve of material and supporting the severed portions upon suitable arms by means of which the severed portions are moved under a sewing machine to sew one end of the portions. Such mechanism is shown and described in the copending application of Louis Hirschhorn and Hans Irmscher for Cloth feeding mechanism for combination tea bag machine, Serial No. 614,090, filed May 28, 1932. In order that the receptacles which have previously been formed in the manner shown and described in the above identified copending application may be filled while engaged by the aforesaid supporting means, the present invention has been designed and an object of this invention, accordingly, is to provide a bag forming and filling mechanism by means of which bags or receptacles may be formed and filled while mounted upon a common supporting means.

A further object of the invention is to provide a bag or receptacle forming and filling means whereby one end of a sleeve of material is sewed with over-locked stitching to form a receptacle,

the receptacle being subsequently supported in an open position for fillingthereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide a bag forming and filling mechanism by means of which sleeves of material are supported upon arms which move one end of the sleeves through a. sewing machine to form a receptacle thereof and subsequently open the mouths of the receptacles without impressing upon the receptacles injurious stresses or strains.

A further object of the invention is to provide supporting means for receptacles by means of which the sides of the receptacles adjacent the mouths thereof may be supported in either spaced apart relationship or juxtaposed relationship without tending to vary the length of the material constituting the mouths of the re-.

ceptacles.

A further object of the invention is to provide a bag forming and supporting mechanismby means of which portions of material are moved through a sewing machine to form receptacles thereof, the supporting means subsequently holding the mouths of the receptacles in open position whereby the same may be filled. After such filling operation, the supporting means is actuated to release the receptacles at a predetermined station.

Further objects, not specifically enumerated above, W111 be apparent as the invention is described in greater detail in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view showing a bag forming and filling mechanism by means of which portions of a continuous sleeve are applied to supporting arms and subsequently moved through a sewing machine to form receptacles thereof, after which they are supported in an open position to be filled and released.

Figure 2 is a partial view in side elevation showing the bag or receptacle supporting mechanism with a receptacle over the arms thereof after the same has passed through a sewing machine to stitch one end thereof.

Figure 3 is a view in section, taken on line 33 of Figure 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows, this view showing the manner in which a receptacle is supported over the arms of the device prior to reaching a filling mechanism.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3, showing the position of the bag supporting arms when the arms have been moved into a position such that a filling operation may be effected. This position of the arms and receptacle is such as illustrated at the lower portion of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is an enlarged plan view of a portion of the supporting wheel structure including the supporting arms and operating mechanism therefor.

Figure 6 is a detail view showing the mechanism by means of which a substance is introduced into an open receptacle.

Referring to the above drawings, a supporting wheel or carrier is shown at I0 and is provided with a plurality of mounting surfaces ll upon which receptacle supporting arms may be mounted as described hereinafter. The wheel I!) is rotatably mounted upon a spindle I 2 supported by a suitable stationary structure l3 and rotated intermittently in the direction of the arrow of Figure 1 by any suitable mechanism.

Upon each of the supporting surfaces ll, pairs of brackets l4 and 15 are journaled by means of pins l6 and l I, respectively. Each bracket I4 and I5 is provided with an extension I8 within which a vertical shaft I9 is journaled. 'Ihe shafts I9 are formed with broad fiat bag engaging and supporting arms 20 upon which bags or receptacles may be placed from below by the attendant.

Bracket I4 is formed with an arm 2I at the end of which are formed teeth 22. Bracket I5 is formed with an arm 23 at the end of which is formed a tooth 24 which is adapted to lie between the teeth 22 on arm 2|. A stop pin 25 limits movement of the arms 2I and 23 downwardly as viewed in Figure 2 and, in this fashion, simultaneous, swinging movement of the arms 20 toward and away from each other on horizontal axes is effected simultaneously. The shafts I9 extend upwardly through the extensions I8 and terminate in notched portions 26 between which a coil spring 21 extends. Spring 2'! thus normally urges arms 20 apart and places a desired tension upon the receptacle which has been placed over such arms. An extension 28 is formed on one of the brackets (in the present construction, bracket I5) and this arm is adapted to be engaged by either of two cams 29 and 30 (Figure 1) whereby movement of the cams into engagement with the extensions 28 effects movement of the arms 20 toward each other to enable a receptacle to be released from the arms 20 or to be readily moved thereover.

The broad, fiat arms 20 which may thus be swung toward and from each other on horizontal axes may also be rotated about their own vertical axes through 90 to cause the same-to lie in the same plane or in parallel planes, as shown in Figures 3 and 4. The mechanism for controlling such movement is illustrated in Figures 38 to maintain the bag supporting arms 20 in the position shown in Figures 2 and 3. In such position the wheel II) advances the material from a station at which portions thereof are applied to the supporting arms 20, through a sewing machine which preferably sews one end of each of the portions with overcast stitching as indicated at 39. After such operation, the roller 31 rides off of the cam rail 38 and the bag supporting arms 20 are moved into the position illustrated in Figure 4 and by dotted lines in Figure 5. In this position, the receptacles are filled by means of a filling mechanism. The filling mechanism 40 may be mounted upon an arm 4| which is formed upon the base of the machine I3 and includes spaced vertical guide rods 42 upon which a head 43 is slidably mounted (Figure 6). A link 44 is connected between the head 43 and an extension 45 of the cam 29. In this fashion, movement of the head 43 takes place in accordance with movement of the cam 29. A filling spout, 46 is secured to the head 43 and, upon downward movement thereof, is moved downwardly into the dotted position shown in Figure 6. The lower end of the filling spout in such position lies within the open mouth of the receptacle which is held in open position by the arms 20. At this time, a suitable substance may be directed into the receptacle through the filling spout, after which filling operation the spout 46 is elevated into a position above the path of movement of the arms 20. The downward movement of cam 29, subsequent to the filling operation performed by the filling spout 46, engages extension 28 2.1(21 moves arms 20 together to release the receptacle which was supported thereover. In Figures 2, 3, 4, and 6, a receptacle 41 has been shown as mounted over the arms 20. Upon movement of the arms 20 toward each other as previously described, the receptacle falls upon a transfer table or turret 48 and is supported in a vertical position by means of arms 49. This structure may follow any of the common structures now in use for transferring the receptacle to a closing apparatus and in as much as it forms no part of the present invention will not be described in further detail herein.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that a forming and filling apparatus has been provided by means of which portions of material which have been previously folded and sewed along an edge parallel to the fold are applied to supporting arms by means of which the lengths are fed through a sewing machine to close one end thereof. The sewing operation preferably applies overcast stitching to the one end and thus provides a receptacle which is sufliciently attractive in appearance, thus avoiding the necessity of turning the same inside out prior to filling. After this sewing operation, the receptacles are moved into a. filling position and, without being removed from the supporting arms, are filled and discharged into a receiving apparatus. The particular form of supporting arms and the operating mechanism therefor enables the receptacles to be formed while in a substantially flat condition and subsequently opened without applying in urious strains to the fabric of the receptacles whereby the receptacles may be filled while being supported upon the supporting arms.

While the invention has been described with specificreference to the accompanying drawings, it is not to be limited, save as defined in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. Baghandling means comprising a movable carrier, broad, flat, bag supporting arms mounted on the carrier and adapted to enter a bag and present it for subsequent operation, means to swing the arms toward each other to facilitate the placing of the bag thereupon and the discharge of the bag therefrom, and means to rotate the arms on their longitudinal axes to place them in parallel planes and thereby hold the bag in open position.

2. Bag handling means comprising a movable carrier, broad, fiat, bag supporting arms mounted on the carrier and adapted to enter a bag and present it for subsequent operation, means to swing the arms toward each other to facilitate the placing of the bag thereupon and the discharge of the bag therefrom, means to rotate the arms on their longitudinal axes to place them in parallel planes and thereby hold the bag in open position, and means to fill the opened bag.

3. Bag handling means comprising a movable carrier, broad, fiat, bag supporting arms mounted on the carrier and adapted to enter a bag and present it for subsequent operation, means to swing the rams toward each other to facilitate the placing of the bag therefrom, means 75 to rotate the arms on their longitudinal axes to place them in parallel planes and thereby hold the bag in open position, means to 1111 the opened bag, and means to release the filled bag from the supportingarms.

4. Bag handling means comprising a movable carrier. broad, flat,.bag supporting arms mounted on the carrier and adapted to enter a bag and present it for subsequent operation, means to a swing said arms toward each other to facilitate arms to release the filled bag.

5. Bag handling means cmnprising a movable carrier, broad, fiat, spaced, bag supporting arms on the carrier, means to move the arms toward each other to facilitate the reception of a bag thereon, and means to rotate the arms upon their longitudinal axes to place them in parallel planes and thereby hold the bag in open position.

6. Bag handling means comprising a movable carrier, broad, flat, spaced arms to receive a bag mounted on the carrier on horizontal axes and also mounted to rotate on vertical axes, means to swing the arms toward and from each other on the horizontal axes, and means to rotate the arms on their vertical axes to place them in parallel planes and thereby hold the bag in open position.

HANS IRMSCHER. 

